Junk Mix (cereal mix)

In a large bowl add:
6 cups Golden Grahams
6 cups Corn Chex
2 cups coconut
2 cups slivered almonds

In a medium saucepan add:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup butter

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for 2 minutes. Pour over cereal and mix. Pour mixture over waxed paper to cool and store in air tight container

*instead of Golden Grahams you could try Smore cereal and Fruit Loops

Disneyland Cornbread

from Six Sisters' Stuff blog

Disneyland's Sweet Cornbread Recipe

This sweet cornbread was served at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ until it closed at the end of 2015. Once you've had this cornbread, you won't ever go back to any other recipe!

Ingredients:
1 (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
2 (8.5 oz each) Jiffy corn muffin mixes
Ingredients called for on the back of the cake mix (eggs, oil, water)
Ingredients called for on the back of the corn muffin mixes (eggs, milk)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, dump in all three boxes of dry mixes (the 1 cake mix and the 2 corn muffin mixes). Add in the ingredients called for on the back of the cake mix box (usually 3 eggs, water, and oil). Now add in the ingredients called for on the back of each corn muffin mix (usually 1/2 cup milk and 1 egg per box).  Mix all the ingredients together until completely combined (but try not to over-mix). Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake mix comes out clean.  Serve warm with butter and honey.  Serves: 16

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad

recipe from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

yield: SERVES 6 

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 30 MINUTES

total time: 40 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SALAD:

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup pomegranate arils

1/2 cup pepitas

1/2 cup feta cheese

FOR THE POMEGRANATE DRESSING:

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until sweet potatoes are well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove from oven.

Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add pomegranate arils, pepitas, and feta cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together pomegranate juice, red wine vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle dressing over sweet potato salad. Gently toss. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Jell-O

1large pkg Raspberry Jell-o
1⁄2 cup sugar
1pkg cranberries, freeze then chop 
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 large pomegranate

Mix Jell-o according to package directions, add the sugar. Soft set in 9x13 pan. Add other ingredients. Set until firm.  Top with sweetened whipped cream.  

Zucchini Bread

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup oil

Mix and add:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix and add:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Makes 2 loaves of bread
*Recipe from Sheralee Moore

Miguel's Jalapeno Cream Sauce

This is a copycat recipe of a white queso dip from a yummy little restaurant called Miguel's on Coronado Island in CA.  It's pretty much the best thing ever created to dip tortilla chips in or pour over any Mexican dish. 

2 c. whipping cream
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. chicken boullion
2 TB clarified butter (I just used regular butter and it was fine.)
1 TB flour
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and ribs removed)
1 TB jarred jalapeno juice
1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat whipping cream over high heat.  Stir in sour cream when it's ready to boil.  After sour cream dissolves, reduce the heat to medium.

Stir in boullion and jalapeno juice, and simmer.

Meanwhile, make a roux by adding the flour to melted butter in a small sauce pan.  Whisk until the mixture turns a pale gold.

Increase the heat on the cream mixture until almost boiling and add the roux.  Whisk briskly and constantly until the roux is incorporated. 

Remove from heat and stir in minced jalapeno and the cheeses.

Notes:  I added about double the jalapeno juice than the recipe calls for (depending on how hot your juice is) and some chopped up jarred jalapenos too.  Just play with it until it's as spicy as you like. 

Beef Brisket

3-4 lbs. beef brisket (Costco)
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
2 TB. beef bouillon

Sprinkle or rub the boullion and soup mix on both sides of the brisket.  Double wrap the roast in foil and place in a baking dish.  Cook at 250 degrees all night or about 8-10 hours.  Take the brisket out of the foil, save all the juices, and let the meat rest.  Remove fat, and slice against the grain.  Return the meat and juices to the pan and keep hot.  Serve with mashed or baked potatoes.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes (about 2 c. chopped)
3 tbsp. butter
1 c. diced white onion
2 tbsp. flour
4 c. chicken stock
2 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. instant mashed potatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. thyme
1 c. half-and-half

Garnish:
cheddar cheese
cooked, crumbled bacon
green onions

Preheat oven to 400 and bake the potatoes for an hour or until done. When the potatoes have cooked remove them from the oven to cool. As the potatoes cool, prepare soup by melting butter in a saucepan, and saute onion until light brown. Add flour to the onions to make a roux (similar to a thick paste). Transfer to a large pot. Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes, and spices to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the contents with a large spoon (or just peel the potatoes). Discard skin. Chop baked potato with a large knife to make chunks that are about 1/2 in. in size.  Add chopped baked potato and half-and-half to the pot. Bring soup back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the soup for another 15 minutes or until it has thickened. Spoon about 1 1/2 c. soup into a bowl and top with shredded cheddar cheese,  crumbled bacon and chopped green onion (if desired).

Bran Muffins

2 cups boiling water
5 tsp. baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 cups all bran cereal
2 cups 40% bran flakes
2 cups chopped dates (optional)
1 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Add soda to boiling water and cool.  Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time; stir in buttermilk, then add flour and salt.  Add water and soda to above mixture.  Add cereals, dates and nuts.  Spoon into well greased muffin tins.  Never stir or beat, just fold ingredients together.  Store unused mixture in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.  Bake at 375 degrees fro 20 minutes.

Creamy Tomato Soup

A very mild tomato soup that you can have on the table in 30 minutes.  Serve with grilled cheese, of course!  Slightly adapted from The Food Nanny.

1 cube butter, softned
1 c. flour
4-5 c. chicken broth
4 c. half and half
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 c. marinara sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, pureed
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook and stir for 5 minutes to slightly brown the mixture (it's sort of a dry, crumbly roux).  Whisk in 4 cups of chicken broth.  Increase the heat and cook and stir until thickened.  Decrease the heat to low, stir in the half and half and basil and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Stir in the marinara sauce and pureed tomatoes, and cook until heated through.  Add more chicken broth if the soup is too thick for your taste.  Season with salt and pepper before serving.  If you half the recipe, still use the whole can of diced tomatoes...it works great.  I added a little tomato paste from a squeeze tube for a little more tomato flavor. 

Fruit Dip

1/2 cup brown sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
2 containers vanilla greek yogurt
5 oz. mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Mix together sugar and cream cheese.  Add vanilla yogurt.  Add heavy cream and whip until holds and peaks.  Add chocolate chips.
Serve with fruit of choice.

Peanut Butter Bars

I've searched high and low for a recipe for the peanut butter bars of my elementary school days and finally, finally found one that is almost spot-on...maybe even a teeny bit better.  These are so delicious, they feed a crowd, and are simple to make.  Recipe slightly adapted from The Food Nanny.

1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
3 c. flour
3 c. regular oats


Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together the peanut butter, butter, sugars, and vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time while mixing on low and mix until blended.  Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl and then add the dry to the wet one cup at a time until well mixed.  Press the dough into a 17 1/2 by 13 inch baking sheet with your fingers.  Bake for 15 mins.  Do not over bake.  Let cool completely, then frost with chocolate frosting (recipe below).

Chocolate Frosting:

4 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softenend
1 TB vanilla
2 TB corn syrup
1/3 c. heavy cream

In a bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.  In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and corn syrup.  Mix in the sugar mixture one cup at a time.  Mix in the cream, then whip on high speed for 3 minutes, adding more cream if necessary to make the frosting spreadable. 

Spicy Tomato Cream Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce comes together really quickly but tastes like it cooked all day.  If you cook the noodles at the same time as the sauce you can do the whole thing in 30 mins, though I do like the sauce to simmer longer if I have time.  :)

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
1/2 c. finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 TB tomato paste (from a squeeze tube is best but from a can works too)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional, depending on how spicy you want to go)
1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. heavy cream or half and half
1/4 c. part skim ricotta cheese
parmesan, for serving

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks, until the meat is not longer pink.  Drain any excess grease.

Stir in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute, until the mixture smells fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes (or as long as you like/need).  Just before serving add in the cream and ricotta and stir until combined and hot.

Serve over hot, cooked noodles (or zoodles!) and top with parmesan. 

Oatmeal Cake

1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Topping
6 TBS butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded coconut

Pour 1 1/2 cup boiling water over oatmeal and let sit for 20 minutes.
Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon together. Cream 1 cup brown sugar, sugar, and butter together; beat in eggs. Stir in flour mixture, oatmeal mixture and 1 tsp vanilla. Turn batter into greased 12x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Melt butter in saucepan; stir in remaining brown sugar, cream, coconut and remaining vanilla. Mix well and spread over hot cake. Broil until topping is bubbly and lightly browned.

Delicious cake from my friend Heather B.